disingenuous

adjective

Definition of disingenuousnext
as in dishonest

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disingenuous With the salary increases and more opportunities, the federation no longer has a choice but to support its players joining the WNBA, otherwise risk appearing disingenuous. — Eden Laase, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 The court’s ruling is especially disingenuous because on Friday, the Postal Service did promulgate regulations limiting the use of the mail for delivering absentee ballots. — Erwin Chemerinsky, Twin Cities, 30 Aug. 2026 She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him. — Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 There are no controversies and any attempt to generate them is dishonest and disingenuous. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disingenuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disingenuous
  1. dishonest
  2. deceitful
  3. untruthful
  4. contrived
  5. hypocritical
  6. unnatural
  7. devious
  8. assumed
Adjective
  • Denigrating the relationship—deciding, for instance, that the rejecter was evil, dishonest, unworthy of your respect or time— devalues your own history, in effect consigning the whole relationship to the trash bin.
    — George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Only someone very comfortable, or very dishonest, would pretend the fantasy has no appeal.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of dishonest
Adjective
  • Magpies are opportunistic scavengers, incredibly cunning and deceitful and capable of calculated deception.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Bogus texts, mystery calls, deceitful emails all aimed at stealing your personal information and your money are relentless.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceitful
Adjective
  • Those commitments can be withdrawn if Saab is untruthful with investigators or probation officials, commits another crime or otherwise violates the agreement.
    — Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
  • However, subsequent video evidence led officials to claim that the officers involved had likely made untruthful statements about what happened.
    — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of untruthful
Adjective
  • Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • OpenAI’s method can never work, in fact, without using a very contrived equation for the force that is unlike anything that could occur in the real world.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of contrived
Adjective
  • And members of these new churches were mostly not the black-dressed, hypocritical, sour-faced, monocultural figures favored by popular narrative, but often included colorful figures who were sometimes surprisingly modern in their desires.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • There is something deeply hypocritical about discovering and using the language of women’s liberation only when your own status, reputation, or income is at stake.
    — Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Adjective
  • Generated by an internal large language model (LLM), OpenAI’s proof relies on an approach that many experts find unnatural.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Some deepfakes still have telltale flaws such as unnatural facial movements, lip-sync glitches, robotic speech or awkward pauses — but the technology is rapidly improving, a spokesperson for the organization said.
    — Emily Elconin for CNN, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of unnatural
Adjective
  • In his first franchise outing, writer-director Zach Cregger eschews obvious sequel hooks for something more devious.
    — Britina Cheng, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Actually, the fake news was smarter than that — and therefore more devious and effective.
    — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of devious
Adjective
  • Shortly after Hollander was identified as the assumed killer, the rest of his car was searched and police started to suspect him in another murder case with similar details.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In most cases, the entitlement is not fully restored until the assumed loan is paid off, refinanced or otherwise satisfied.
    — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of assumed

Browse Nearby Words

disinformation
disingenuous
disinherit
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Cite this Entry

“Disingenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disingenuous. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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